Nanoquest: It's the littlest things that matter most. (HxH)

It's not creepy or wrong if nobody knows you did it.

 

[X] Moving away from potential flying boulders would be advisable.
[X] Follow host directives regarding white blood cells. Start researching means to work with and around the hosts native immune system.
[X] Research ways to keep our host calm and try to figure out how to suppress her reaction to that she termed "creepiness"

 

[X] Moving away from potential flying boulders would be advisable.
[X] Follow host directives regarding white blood cells. Start researching means to work with and around the hosts native immune system.
[X] Research ways to keep our host calm and try to figure out how to suppress her reaction to that she termed "creepiness"

 

Okay. So long as you tell me how you say "don't be afraid of the brain reading parasites" in hormone.

 

(x) Get to work on infesting her bees. Suggest she send out a few in the direction of the damage; we can borrow the bee's eyes to see and report back when we're in range again.
She must be able to see what a valuable scouting tool we'd be with the Hunter exam coming up.

 

Dopamine.

 

... Influx of cuddle hormone released when she thinks of us?

Love is essentially chemical in nature, at the basest levels.

Not that I'm necessarily advocating this, but it can be done.

 

Too obvious; Serotonin would be better, it would send a signal of 'stay calm and content' rather than one of 'arousal'.

 

Oxytocin is associated with pair bonding reduction of stress and maternal behaviour, alsowithsexualarousal... :-[

Its also shown to increase trust and decrease fear.

 

This whole thing works on a veneer of bullshit science anyway, but the gm craves for player's input.

 

[X] Moving away from potential flying boulders would be advisable.
[X] Follow host directives regarding white blood cells. Start researching means to work with and around the hosts native immune system.
[X] Research ways to keep our host calm and try to figure out how to suppress her reaction to that she termed "creepiness"
--[X]Perhaps begin the release of Oxytocin with thoughts associated with Us? It would be more efficient if she were to like Us.

 

Ugh. Much as I dislike the idea of chemically mindraping our host, the pros of such outweigh the cons...barely.

Not going to vote for it on principle, though. -shrug- I just don't want us to head in that direction as a thematic choice.

 

[X] Oxytocin.

And on that note we can supress her Chemical Reactions that cause Fear from continued monitoring.

 

I don't know it could interfer with some of her abilitys to actually pick good enhancements.

Well that and if she figures it out she'll be ticked off on a level we probably couldn't believe.

....I'm going to vote no on that for now, at least till this whole turnamite thing is over.

Considering one of her wishes is for an older body, and the fact that she's possible hoped up on our blood I wouldn't put it past her.

 

not if we inhibit the chemicals associated with fear.

 

could we let her have more direct control of the personality bundle selection and customization? the perception of greater control should help sooth her fears.

also we need to get a HUD going. elements could include blood levels, endurance meter for her peak performance, adrenaline reserves, improved low light vision, a settings menu she can access (perception of greater control when we are just giving her things we would have given her anyway, health status, oxygen reserves and so on.

 

Acknowledged. Our ability to neutralize antigen carriers as they reach the lymph nodes and before they transmit their antigen to the node's population should limit immune reaction to isolated actions involving only the local defenses. Complete pacification however is currently considered unfeasible without complete elimination.

Regarding subliminal adjustments of the host, research is still in progress, but two seemingly viable options have emerged.

Suggestion: By inserting messages following closely Ponzu thought's pattern, we could alter her thought process by introducing a point of view more in line with ours. Warning!: Ponzu is already aware of our presence. A message that deviates too much from her position would immediately make her suspicious of us.

Chemical conditioning: By releasing in conjunction with Ponzu's exposure to a stimulus, we may modify her reaction to it, eventually teaching her brain to naturally associate a certain 'emotion' or state of mind to it. Warning: It is impossible to calculate accurately this method's result and its consequences on Ponzu's mental stability.

[]Orders?


Neural connection:

'Moving away from potential flying boulders would be advisable.'

'Agreed.' Ponzu reaches for her backpack. "Get your stuff."

Megumi salutes sharply. "Roger!"

Ponzu locks the door behind her, and then the agonizing screech of torn metal makes her jump away just in time to avoid the door caving in.

Megumi taps her chin. "Leaving may have been the right idea, I guess."

"This won't only happen to us, I think. Let's move before the hallways get too crowded."

"The main hall," Megumi ask hopefully.

"I'd rather not go anbywhere near giant glass window right now. The dining hall, it's is on the inside of the vessel."

The cheerful girls perks up further at that. "We haven't had dinner yet, too."

"There is that."

To their surprise, the swaying hallways stays empty.

"The announcement did ask passengers to stay in their room," Megumi remarks.

Finally, they meet someone else. A man limps out of a side corridor, clothes soaked in blood. "Help me," he gargles desperately. "They're coming!" He collapses, his last strength spent.

A faint buzzing echoes through the corridor.

Then the light goes out.

The emergency light switches on.

A swarm of insects burst out of the hallway. Their general appearance are close to the praying mantis, except for the brown, sand-patterned bony carapace which thins out into a jagged blade at the forelimbs, some covered with blood. They stand at about 40 centimeters tall.

"Shura mantises", Ponzu curses in a sharp breath.

Threat assessment: Real & immediate.

The mantises land close to the man, apparently about to finish him off.

Megumi shouts and draw her sword, ready to charge.

Ponzu slowly step away. It appears she is plans on fleeing.

[]Suggestions?

 

[X] "A Close-Combat Ally is a valuable asset. You should ensure she survives the battle."

 

[X] Get to a room, quickly. At current levels of augmentation you are unlikely to survive.

 

[X] Get to a room, quickly. At current levels of augmentation you are unlikely to survive.

 

[X] Tell your companion to run.
[X] Get to a room, quickly. You are unlikely to survive at your current levels of augmentation.

 

[X] Tell your companion to run.
[X] Get to a room, quickly. You are unlikely to survive at your current levels of augmentation.

I'd say go with the suggestion. Chemical fuckery is fuckery for a reason. We just have to be subtle. Also, the best time to work on her with it is in the period of time just before she falls asleep and while she's just waking up.

 

[X] Tell your companion to run.
[X] Get to a room, quickly. You are unlikely to survive at your current levels of augmentation.

 

[X] Tell your companion to run.
[X] Get to a room, quickly. You are unlikely to survive at your current levels of augmentation.

 

"Run, you fool!" Ponzu shouts.

Megumi clenches her swords tightly. "We can't abandon him like that!"

With a shout, she launches herself at the swarm. Drawn by the scent of blood, the beasts don't take notice of her until the closest is sent smashing into a wall. The creature crashes to the ground but is back on its legs quickly, stunned but unharmed.

With an angry buzzing, the others lunge at her as one, arms stretched forward menacingly. Megumi dodges one, two animals flying at her head and bats away a third slashing at her chest. She backpedals quickly before getting surrounded.

"They're really tough," the girl thinks aloud as the second mantis she's struck gets back up. "Those claws are as long as they're tall, too."

"Shura mantises are among the most lethal predators in this desert," Ponzu mutters thickly. "They're methodical pack hunters, relentless and able to smell a prey from several kilometers. They target an animal large enough to feed the group and attack it all together. They never separate, never act independantly. They're not greedy either, so long as they get their target they won't attack anything else around until they've consumed it whole. Unless they're attacked, that is," she finishes meaningfully

Megumi nods seriously, "You think they taste like crabs?"

“… What?”

Megumi blushes warmly and twists her pigtail. “Well, with that carapace, they just reminded me of seafoods.”

Ponzu raises her hand in frustration. "So not the point."

With a smile, the girl sheathes her sword, though her hands doesn't leave the handle. "That's fine, I wasn't planning on leaving any alive. If I want to be a Hunter I can't be running from a few angry critters." Her eyes slide toward Ponzu. "But you can go if that's how you feel, Ponzu-san. I'll see you later."

With a burst of speed the girl throws herself in the midst of the swarm, so fastshe's in their midst before the can react. She coils on herself, sword held firmly at the hip, back twisted to its limit, knees bent so much she's half crouching.

"Amaoto."

In the hallway's pale light, the young swordwoman explodes. She springs in the air, sword like a thin sheet of light as she ascends in the air in a mad spiral, bashing and slicing everything within her range. the swarm is scattered, its members flung through the air with a brutality incomparable to her previous attacks. This time, there is several dull cracks and screech of pain as some insects impact the walls.

But Megumi's assault isn't finished yet. The girl flew up to the ceiling and with a last second spin she crouched upon it upside down. She stretches her free hand in front of her face and raises her sword besides it.

"Gatotsu."

Megumi launches herself at the ground, skewering a stunned mantis front to back, its carapace cracking like sugar under the power of the gravity boosted thrust. The creature can't even scream before it dies.

"Idiot." Ponzu curses under her breath.

Megumi casually puts a feet on the corpse and pull at her sword.

It doesn't move, even when she pulls at it with both hands.

Our host facepalms. "She stuck it in the metal floor."

Behind the struggling swordwoman, the swarm is rallying slowly. Quite a few of them are hurt, but they seem intent on fighting all the same.

[]Orders?

 

Might as well assist. Adrenaline boost and other boosts to help her rip it out of the metal floor quickly...

 

[X] remind her she can operate at peak exertion for several minutes as opposed to several seconds like Megumi
-[X]Tell her this likely means she will have a better chance pulling the sword out.

 

Alert: There is a fire hose hanging off the wall in the corridor the battle is happening. It may be an effective as a delaying tool.